In U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,868 there is described a user interface for allowing a user access to media pieces stored in a media database, and for selecting media to be played on various devices, including on a player piano, an electric guitar, a computer system, a pipe organ, a television, a movie video player, or a computer screen. The interface is extremely user-friendly, allowing a user to select media for playing according to various criteria such as category, composer, and artist. The document explains, in one particular detailed embodiment, the manner in which such a user interface, if running on a computer connected to a MIDI type player piano, can be used to select media to be played on the player piano. The document describes in general the MIDI format and the now well understood issues of synchronizing the playing of the music and the movement of the keys on the player piano. This patent is incorporated herein by reference for its many useful background teachings including, in particular: all of the drawing figures; the description of the state of the art from col. 1, line 32 through col. 4, line 27; the overview of MIDI data codes in col. 6, line 47 through col. 7, line 13; the overview of player piano operation in col. 7, line 16 through col. 8, line 20; the description of the constituent parts of a computer-controlled piano player system in the particular embodiment found at col. 8, line 21 through col. 9, line 18; and the description of the user interface in col. 9, line 21 through col. 14, line 33.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,097 there is a useful background description of a modern player piano system. The player piano system receives two kinds of input data. One kind of input data is audio data codes and another is MIDI data codes. This document explains that, when a compact disk is designed to reproduce a piece of music through a compact disc player, pieces of music data information to be stored in a compact disc are stored in a certain format. The certain format is referred to in the document as an audio data format. Accordingly, the data codes in the audio data format are referred to as audio data codes. On the other hand, when a compact disc is designed to reproduce a piece of music through an electronic keyboard, the pieces of music data information are, by way of example, stored in data codes formatted in accordance with the MIDI standard. The format defined in the MIDI standard is referred to as MIDI format, and the data codes in such a MIDI format are referred to as MIDI data codes. This document also provides useful background information on the different ways in which MIDI data can be used in connection with a player piano. Another point made by the document is that it is known in the art to produce a composite information storage medium that includes both the audio data codes and the MIDI data codes for a given piece of music. U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,097 is incorporated herein by reference for its many useful background teachings, including in particular: all of the drawing figures; the background information about modern player piano as appearing in column 1, beginning at line 17, and extending through column 2, line 42; the detailed description about electrical components found in a modern player piano in column 4, line 44, through column 7, line 32. Although this document explains about audio data codes and MIDI data codes, and mentions the compounds at information storage medium, most of the document relates to a situation in which the audio data codes and the MIDI data codes are supplied from two different sources.
The term, “analog MIDI” will be familiar to those interested in this field. As is well known, MIDI is a format that is similar in ways to a language. In particular, data in the MIDI format defines musical notes and attributes, but is not itself a recording of a musical performance. When MIDI data is converted to analog form using FSK or the like, the result may be referred to as “analog MIDI.” Modern player pianos have MIDI inputs for reading files in the MIDI format, and also may often have analog MIDI inputs for receiving analog MIDI data. Older instruments lacking an analog MIDI input can be converted to include such an input or can be used with an adapter device that accepts analog MIDI input. Analog MIDI signals received through analog MIDI inputs are converted back to MIDI format and then handled as MIDI data. In the discussion below, it would be inconvenient to differentiate between MIDI data codes in MIDI format and MIDI data codes that have been converted to analog MIDI format, and which will in the future be converted back to MIDI format. Therefore, no differentiation will be made and it will be understood that the MIDI data codes are either in MIDI format (i.e., digital format) or in analog MIDI format (i.e., analog format), the particular format being apparent from the context.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,928,261, there is a useful background description of a modern music data distribution system suitable for use with a modern player piano. This document recognizes that there are different data formats, and that a particular music playing device might need one particular data format, and might not be suitable for use with data in other formats. The music data distribution system requires the user to provide information as to what kind of device is being used, and then presents the user with music that can be downloaded and is in the correct format. The system tells the user when requested music is not available in a particular format. In certain embodiments, the document describes the conversion of music data from one data format to another data format. In the case of MIDI-enabled musical instruments, the system proposed in the document permits the user only to download music that is in the MIDI data format. More particularly, the downloaded MIDI data format music is downloaded to a user's computer, and apparently not directly into a musical instrument. This document is incorporated herein by reference for its useful background description of a musical distribution system for distributing music data in various data formats.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,731,312 and United States Patent Application Publication 2005/0071780 relate to a graphical user interface popularly known as APPLE ITUNES. Both of these documents are herein incorporated by reference for their background information on the interface, and also for the information relating to the APPLE ITUNES MUSIC STORE feature which permits users to browse selections and purchase musical works. In the former document, to be particular, all of the drawing figures are incorporated by reference as well as the description of the graphical user interface provided in column 2, line 1, through column 4, line 61. In the letter document, to be particular, all of the drawing figures are incorporated by reference as well as the description of the graphical user interface presented in paragraphs 42-137.
United States Patent Application Publication 2004/0055446 describes a portable multimedia device popularly known as an APPLE IPOD. This publication also describes a method and system for providing the user with a friendly and efficient retrieval of stored multimedia files, by way of a hierarchical user interface. This document is incorporated by reference for its useful background description of how a portable media player device works, how it can be manipulated, and its functionality. In particular, all of the drawing figures are incorporated by reference herein, as well as the background description in paragraphs 5-10, and the detailed description in paragraphs 18-33.
Portable media players, such as the APPLE iPod, and user interface software for allowing a user access to media pieces stored in a media database, such as APPLE's iTunes software, and online systems that make it easy to search for, select, and download various musical works, have become extremely popular. The Apple iPod, the Apple iTunes software, and the Apple music store have become so popular, in fact, that they are very nearly a standard for the management and commercial distribution of music works and other media types. The iTunes software and Apple Music Store, and like products, have become the standard means by which users manage their entire music and video collections. Consumers today are generally comfortable with the ability to purchase content such as music, videos and other media via the internet.
Today, more and more products are available to facilitate the simplified use and the distributed use of multimedia information. United States Patent Application Publication 2005/0273790 describes one such product popularly known as the APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS. This document provides a detailed explanation of the manner in which a network media station such as the Apple Airport Express may be used to play multimedia content from a personal computer, e.g., audio files, on an entertainment device, e.g., a stereo system. This document illustrates the manner in which a personal computer communicates wirelessly with the networked media station so as to send to the networked media station audio data, and the manner in which the networked media station is connected with a stereo receiver so that the stereo receiver can play audio files such as music files. This document is herein incorporated by reference for its useful background information on the topics just mentioned. To be particular, all of the drawing figures are herein incorporated by reference (with the reader's attention being directed in particular to FIGS. 1, 3-6, 10, and 11. Moreover, the accompanying text in the document that corresponds to these figures is incorporated by reference. As well, paragraphs 22-60 are incorporated herein by reference.
Another product, not at this instant available commercially, is described in United States Patent Application Publication 2004/0224638. This document describes a wireless portable media player that may be summarized as a wireless Apple iPod. This document is incorporated herein by reference for its helpful background discussion of a wireless portable media player, and various ways in which such a player can be interfaced with other devices in a wireless manner. All of the drawing figures are incorporated by reference, as well as the description in paragraphs 41-118.
Although there is a lot of music and other multimedia available for download through distribution systems such as the iTunes music store, there is no music available which can be downloaded through the iTunes music store and used with a modern player piano such that the music contains both audio data codes and MIDI data codes. One reason for this may be the fact that iTunes does not support playback of MIDI files. The iTunes program could be used to attempt to “play” an analog MIDI format file as if it were an audio file with audio data codes, but the result would sound like the playback of a fax or a modem since the MIDI data codes in an analog MIDI format file are FSK-converted data.
In the marketplace, there are available disks that constitute the composite information storage medium type of disc mentioned in one of the above identified patents. One example of such a product is the YAMAHA PIANOSOFT media products. That is to say, each of the musical works contained on such disks includes associated audio data codes and MIDI data codes. In fact, the MIDI data codes may be stored in an analog MIDI format. People who purchase this kind of composite information storage medium make use of the disc by putting it into the disc reading device of the modern player piano. Management for the musical works contained on such disks is performed by manually manipulating the discs.
There exists a need for the ability to access and manage musical works of the composite information type (i.e., works in which both audio data codes and MIDI data codes are provided) by using an interface that has friendly and efficient features such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,868 or those present in the Apple iTunes software, and to play such works on a modern player piano in a convenient way.